Jesse Granger
Metro Police set up a command center at Helen Marie Smith Elementary School after an officer-involved shooting Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015. After neighbors in the 400 block of Lakehurst Road reported a man shooting guns into the air and screaming, Metro officers and a SWAT team responded. The man was shot and died later at an area hospital.
Published Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 | 12:53 p.m.
Updated Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 | 7:23 p.m.
Metro Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that ended a nearly two-hour standoff and left one man dead Sunday morning.
A resident in the 400 block of Lakehurst Road, near South Buffalo and Alta drives, called 911 and reported shots fired just after 7:30 a.m. when a neighbor with multiple guns was firing shots into the air and screaming, Metro Lt. John Sheahan said.
Metro officers arrived at the scene approximately eight minutes later.
“As our officers arrived, they set up a perimeter and attempted to make contact with the persons inside of the residence,” Metro Captain Matt McCarthy said. “A white male adult came out carrying a rifle and went back inside of the home. Him coming in and out occurred several times.”
According to Metro, the patrol officers identified the incident as a possible barricade situation and evacuated the surrounding houses, including people from inside the residence of the suspect. They also requested a SWAT team and hostage negotiators.
Hostage negotiators made several attempts to speak with the man, to no avail.
“At some point, the subject came out carrying a rifle. Our hostage negotiators asked a number of times for the subject to put down the rifle,” McCarthy said. “He raised the rifle in their direction, and several of our officers fired on the subject to stop the threat. The subject went down.”
McCarthy said in a statement that the man was struck "a number of times."
Medics were on the scene and provided immediate medical attention to the subject, according to Metro. He was then transported to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The identity of the suspect will be released by the Clark County Coroner's office, and Metro will release the names of the officers involved at a later date.
Nearby Helen Marie Smith Elementary School was used as a command post while Metro investigated the incident, and the surrounding area was closed to the public.
The investigation is still ongoing, and a press conference held by Undersheriff Kevin McMahill to reveal more details is expected within 72 hours.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 702-828-8452. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-285-5555 or crimestoppersofnv.com.
This is the eighth officer-involved shooting in Metro's jurisdiction this year.
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